About this Item

Title

Tom Tinker's pony patter

Summary

Camera iris opens to six ponies with decorated harnesses and plumed halters, standing in the center of a stage with a painted backdrop of mountains. Cuts to two ponies on a seesaw, with a moustached man in a white uniform with dark piping and a white cap holding their leads. A second trainer in a dark suit can also be seen occasionally with the ponies. Individual ponies perform a variety of tricks, including rolling a slatted barrel across the stage with front legs and then with a nose, knocking over the barrel, "limping" across the stage with one front leg held off the ground, and pushing the trainer over with a nose-butt. Cuts to the six ponies lined up at the back of the stage, with each pony's head lying over the neck of the pony in front of him. Cuts to the ponies circling the trainer in a straight radial line and then in various combinations, including three by three, pairs, and singly. The ponies finish their circling by walking in a straight line to the front of the stage and then bowing on their knees. Cuts to a closeup of the six ponies in a line, facing the camera, which closes in an iris effect to black.

Contributor Names

Spanuth, Hans A., production.

Commonwealth Pictures Corporation.

AFI/Zouary (Maurice) Collection (Library of Congress)

Created / Published

United States : [Commonwealth Pictures Corp., 1919 or 1920?]

Subject Headings

-
Ponies--United States

-
Circus animals--United States

-
Silent films

Genre

Vaudeville

Animal films and programs

Shorts

Notes

-
Copyright: reg. unknown.

-
No copyright registration or production and distribution information could be found for an act under this name, but the film appears to be an uncopyrighted Spanuth's original vod-a-vil movie given the similarities in title graphics and camera technique to identified Spanuths.

More Film, Videos like this

Film, Video

Jumbo, the trained elephant
Spanuth's vodvil - Zouary no. 148 | Vaudeville de-luxe: four acts | Zouary can no148
Camera iris opens from black to a smiling man standing in front of an elephant, who is seated on her haunches on a stool with her front legs raised in the air. They are apparently on a stage with a painted backdrop of a forest. The man gives the elephant a treat, who then stands as the iris closes. Another iris effect opens on ...

[Animal act with baboon, dog and donkey]
Spanuth's vodvil - Zouary no. 149 | Zouary can no. 149
Opens on a closeup of a baboon "playing" a violin, then cuts to a medium shot of the same. The baboon wears a white short-sleeved shirt with a loose bow tie and tweed pants. Cuts to a closeup of the baboon in a circular mask or iris effect, without the violin but with a collar around his neck and a striped kitten that he ...

Kawana Trio
Spanuth's vodvil - Zouary no. 159 | Zouary can no 159
Opening title identifies the Kawana Trio as "artistic foot jugglers." The camera iris opens to reveal three Asians--two men and a woman--dressed in kimonos and looking down. They raise their heads and look at the camera, smiling, as the iris closes. Another iris effect opens to a stage with a dark background and a decorated, cushioned platform center stage. The men now wear white ...

Three jumping Tommies
Three jumping acrobatic Tommies | Unidentified Peters No 3: Vaudeville acts
Opening title introduces "Three jumping Tommies in their original acrobatic stunts," with "Tommies" apparently referring to the performers' British military uniform costumes of caps, shirts and ties, knickers to the knees, tights, and short boots. Cuts to a long shot of a stage with a painted backdrop of a garden with fountains. From stage right march three young men; a short boy flanked by ...

Kruger and Ward
Unidentified Peters No 3: Vaudeville acts
Opening title introduces "Kruger and Ward, the tall and short of it." The camera iris opens on a stage with a painted backdrop of a canyon and waterfall. Two clowns walk across the stage: a dwarf with a fake bald pate dressed in evening clothes and a top hat, and a tall, thin clown dressed as a woman. The dwarf follows the "woman" with ...